Building bridges: qualitative assessment of a clinical faculty exchange between a naturopathic and an allopathic medical training program.

Research Question: What are the perceived benefits of a clinical exchange experience designed as part of a program to promote acceptance and use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in naturopathic clinical practice?

Methods: Nine faculty members participated in a focus group (n = 6) or a structured interview (n = 3) to assess experience in the program. Investigators independently analyzed transcribed notes for common experience themes. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: Six major themes emerged: integrating EBM into naturopathic clinical teaching, strengthening of professional relationships, exposure to clinical experiences outside the usual naturopathic scope, reaffirmation of naturopathic training and profession, observation of clinical and administrative resources and practices, and recommendations for future clinical exchanges.

Accidental foot burns in children from contact with naturally heated surfaces during summer months: experience from a regional burn center.

Background: Foot burns in children often result from contact with heated surfaces due to high ambient temperatures during summer in the southwestern United States. The objective of this study was to describe the unique cause and clinical characteristics of this type of injury.

Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of pediatric patients presenting with contact burns of the foot in Arizona Burn Center, which is the third largest burn center in the United States.

Evaluation of nonpharmacologic methods of pain and anxiety management for laceration repair in the pediatric emergency department.

Background: Nonpharmacologic interventions, such as distraction, have been shown to be powerful adjuncts in reducing pain and anxiety in children with both acute and chronic painful conditions. There are no controlled studies evaluating these interventions as adjuncts to facilitate completion of painful procedures in the pediatric emergency department (ED).

Objective: We assessed the effectiveness of distraction techniques in reducing the sensory and affective components of pain among pediatric patients undergoing laceration repair in the ED.

Screening for adolescent depression in a pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents presenting to the emergency department (ED) and to describe their demographics and outcomes compared with adolescents endorsing low levels of depressive symptoms.

Methods: The Beck Depression Inventory-2nd edition (BDI-II) was used to screen all patients 13-19 years of age who presented to the ED during the period of study. The BDI-II is a 21-item self-report instrument used to measure the presence and severity of depressive symptoms in adolescents and adults.